How to Watch (or Avoid) the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

In this photo provided by Vanessa Pena, a man jumps a fence at the White House on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, in Washington. Minutes before the balloons began bobbing through the streets of Manhattan, crowds pushed up against the barricades that lined Avenue of the Americas and, just out of earshot, counterterrorism officials from the New York Police Department huddled on the sidewalk, the Radio City Music Hall sign looming overhead. “I don’t have to tell you what’s going on in the city and what’s going on in the world,” Chief James R.The contraption was spotted flying above West 77th Street and Central Park West at around 10.30am during what was the most heavily policed parade in the city’s history.The band performed the song “Blues for Santa” on 34th Street in front of Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square to cap its 2.5-mile journey through Manhattan. “The parade was absolutely amazing and flew by!” said Rose Craig, 21, of Fox Lake, one the band’s drum majors. “When we hit the quiet zone before Herald Square it was so surreal and honestly had felt like five minutes had passed.

Authorities quickly caught up to the drone’s operators and arrested a 41-year-old Russian tourist for flying a drone in Central Park near the parade route with his son, 14. The crowd was wonderful and really receptive of our performance — it was incredible!” During a quick stopping point in the march, the band posed for photos with a New York City police officer, and Craig swapped hats with the officer.

On Thursday, as what was expected to be a crowd of three million people gathered to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade make its way through the city streets, close to 2,500 law enforcement officers were watching for trouble. It came as this year’s event was held under extremely stringent security measures in the wake of deadly terror attacks in Paris and threats made against the city.

Craig received the Bob Hope Scholarship, given to one band member in the Macy’s parade who embodies the characteristics of musicianship, community service, leadership and humor. Authorities say the man stole a boarding pass a woman accidentally left behind at a check-in kiosk earlier this month and used it to get through airport security in Salt Lake City before being caught at the flight’s gate. Pope Francis held his first open-air mass in Africa on Nov 26 with huge crowds calling heavy rains “God’s blessing” as they sung and danced in the Kenyan capital. Authorities say he probably died from a broken neck after participating in a tradition to mark college’s football rivalry with the University of Michigan.

The musicians, dance team and color guard began the day with a 1:30 a.m. wake-up call, then had a final rehearsal before dawn, before they stepped off near the end of the procession of celebrity acts, giant balloons and floats. A huge fire that swept through a crowded Manila shanty town has razed more than 800 homes, leaving thousands homeless after they were forced to flee for their lives from the towering flames, officials said.PHOTO: AFP PHOTO They were trained and ready, officials said, to respond to an attack. “We are always at a heightened state,” Chief Waters said. “We realize we’re a target. It was exhilarating to see the amount of people watching and the constant chant of ‘Go Illini’ or ‘I-L-L’ as we marched the parade,” said Victoria Sewell, another drum major. “Once we reached the red ready line of Herald Square, the adrenaline set in and we were on our way.

After two days of demonstrations following the release of a video that shows a white Chicago police officer shooting and killing black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014, protest organizers said no marches were planned for Thanksgiving. Even if the White House’s thyme-roasted bird didn’t turn out to be the moistest, the first family’s menu boasted more than enough other choices to fill the stomach. The Marching Illini band is accustomed to hectic scheduling, having performed at each home football game this autumn, three Friday night high school football games throughout Illinois, the Bears’ home opener in September and several concerts on campus. And two kinds of stuffing: cornbread with chorizo and “roasted peppers oyster.” As for the veggies, the Obamas could enjoy some braised winter greens — collards, kale, and turnip greens — in addition to kale Caesar salad.

Albers, who served in the Coast Guard, said he noticed bomb-sniffing dogs and undercover officers in the crowd, and he was pointing them out to his wife. Beyond the patrol officers who came from across the city to work crowd control, there were Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and hundreds more officers from the Counterterrorism Bureau, including about 200 from the newly formed Critical Response Command. Inspector Scott Shanley, the commanding officer of the new unit, said that having a dedicated force — which will eventually grow to more than 500 officers — would better enable the department to thwart an attack or to react to one.